Crystalline pyrazoles

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to crystal forms of 4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide and methods for preparation, interconversion, and isolation of such crystals.

CROSS REFERENCE

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 60/558,469, filed Apr. 1, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to crystal forms of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideand methods for preparation, interconversion, and isolation of suchcrystals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

5-Phenylpyrazolyl-1-benzenesulfonamides are a novel synthetic class ofcompounds with potent COX-2 inhibitory activity useful for the treatmentof arthritis and other conditions due to inflammation.4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideis a 5-phenylpyrazolyl-1-benzenesulfonamide having the followingstructure:

2. Background Art

The compound of Formula I is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,823 (Tallyet al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,521,207 (Graneto). These patents areincorporated herein by reference. Although the preparation of thecompound of Formula I is disclosed, the specification is silent as tothe isolation and nature of crystal forms of the agent. There is a needto identify polymorphic behavior as a means of ensuring robustprocesses, avoid tableting problems, tablet failure, crystal growth insuspensions and resultant caking, precipitation from suspensions as wellas chemical production problems such as filterability, and to ensureanalytical reproducibility (see Analysis of Organic Polymorphs, AReview; Threlfall, T. L., Analyst, 120, pp. 2435-2459).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a crystal, Form I, of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidehaving a powder X-ray diffraction pattern comprising peaks expressed indegrees (±0.1 degree) of two theta angle of 14.0, 18.9, 21.3, 21.9, and25.7 obtained using CuKα₁ X-ray (wavelength=1.5406 Angstroms). Inanother aspect of the invention, a process is provided for convertingcrystal Form II of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideinto the crystal Form I comprising i) mixing a suspension of Form II of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidein a suitable solvent at a temperature from about 0° C. to about 60° C.;ii) stirring the suspension at a temperature from about 0° C. to about60° C. for 24 to 72 hours; and iii) collecting the Form I crystals. Inanother aspect of the invention, the solvent in said process is chosenfrom the group consisting of water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol,acetone, acetonitrile, methylene chloride, toluene, and tetrahydrofuran,and mixtures thereof.

An additional aspect of the invention is process for converting crystalForm II of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideinto the crystal Form I comprising (i) dissolving said Form II in awater miscible solvent in which the solubility of Form II is greaterthan 2 mg/mL at a temperature from about 10° C. to about 60° C.; (ii)precipitating the compound by the addition of water; (iii) stirring thesuspension of step (ii) for 2 to 72 hours at a temperature from about15° C. to about 45° C.; and (iv) collecting the Form I crystals. Inanother aspect of the invention, solvent for this process is selectedfrom the group consisting of ethanol, acetone, acetonitrile,tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, and dimethylformamide.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a pharmaceutical compositionwhich comprises a compound of Formula I of crystal Form I. In anotheraspect of the invention, the pharmaceutical composition furthercomprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient. Stillanother object of the present invention is to provide a method forpreventing or treating inflammatory conditions in animals by using atherapeutically effective amount of a novel composition of the presentinvention. A further object of the present invention is to provide a useof a novel composition of the present invention in the manufacture of amedicament for the prevention or treatment of an inflammatory conditionin an animal.

A further object of the invention is to prepare crystal Form I of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideby:

Step (a) mixing 1.0 to 1.6 moles, or preferably 1.2 to 1.45 moles, ormore preferably 1.25 to 1.35 moles, of alkyl trifluoroacetate per moleof 4-fluoroacetophenone with 1.0 to 1.5 moles, or preferably 1.1 to 1.35moles, or more preferably 1.15 to 1.25 moles, of a metal alkoxide permole of 4-fluoroacetophenone, and a known quantity of4-fluoroacetophenone to make a mixture. Optionally, up to 1,380 ml, orpreferably up to 900 ml, or more preferably up to 490 ml, of a suitablesolvent, preferably 2-propanol, is added in this step. Optionally, themixture of step (a) is heated at a temperature above ambient temperatureup to reflux temperature, or preferably at a temperature of 40° C. to70° C., or more preferably at a temperature of 50° C. to 60° C., for 1to 24 hours, or preferably for 1 to 10 hours; or more preferably for 1to 4 hours, or more preferably until the reaction is complete.Optionally, after such heating, the mixture is then cooled to atemperature of −5° C. to 30° C., or more preferably to ambienttemperature.

Step (b) The mixture of step (a) is combined with, or preferably addedto, a combination of 415 to 1,245 ml, or preferably 650 to 870 ml, ormore preferably 725 to 795 ml, of water per mole of4-fluoroacetophenone, plus 1.1 to 2.0 moles, or preferably 1.2 to 1.7moles, or more preferably 1.3 to 1.5 moles, of concentrated hydrochloricacid per mole of 4-fluoroacetophenone, plus 0.8 to 1.2 moles, orpreferably 0.9 to 1.1 moles, or more preferably 0.95 to 1.05 moles, of4-sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride per mole of4-fluoroacetophenone, and an amount of a suitable solvent, preferably aC₁-C₆ alcohol, or more preferably 2-propanol, so that the total amountof the solvent in the mixture is from 550 to 1,660 ml, or preferablyfrom 600 to 1,000 ml, or more preferably from 650 to 750 ml, per mole of4-fluoroacetophenone. Optionally, the mixture of step (b) is heated at atemperature above ambient temperature up to reflux temperature, orpreferably at a temperature of 40° C. to 70° C., or preferably at atemperature of 50° C. to 70° C., for 1 to 24 hours, or preferably for 1to 10 hours; or more preferably for 1 to 4 hours, or more preferablyuntil the reaction is complete. Optionally, after such heating, themixture is then stabilized at a temperature of ambient temperature to70° C., or preferably from 40° C. to 65° C., or more preferably from 50°C. to 60° C.

Step (c) Then, a seeding amount, or preferably 0.0001% to 50% wt/wt, ormore preferably 0.001% to 5% wt/wt, or more preferably 0.01% to 0.5%wt/wt, of crystals of Form I of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamiderelative to 4-fluoroacetophenone is added to the mixture. Optionally,the mixture of step (c) is heated at a temperature from 40° C. to lessthan 70° C., or preferably at a temperature of 50° C. to less than 70°C., or more preferably at a temperature of 50° C. to 60° C., for 1 to 10hours, or preferably for 3 to 8 hours; or more preferably for 5 to 7hours. Optionally, after such heating, the mixture is then cooled to atemperature of −5° C. to 30° C., or more preferably to ambienttemperature. Optionally, the mixture is filtered and washed with asuitable solvent, preferably an alcohol, more preferably 2-propanol, orwater or a mixture thereof. Optionally, the solvent is in an amount of300 to 1,500 ml, or preferably 600 to 1060 ml, or more preferably 800 to860 ml, of per mole of 4-fluoroacetophenone, and the water is in anamount of 100 to 700 ml, or preferably 285 to 545 ml, or more preferably385 to 445 ml, per mole of 4-fluoroacetophenone.

Step (d) The Form I crystals are then collected. Optionally, the Form Icrystals are dried at a temperature of 15° C. to 80° C., or preferablyat a temperature of 30° C. to 65° C., more preferably at 50° C. to 60°C.

In another aspect of the invention, the metal alkoxide of step (a) ischosen from the group consisting of sodium methoxide, sodium ethoxide,sodium isopropoxide, sodium tertiary butoxide, lithium methoxide,lithium ethoxide, lithium isopropoxide, lithium tertiary butoxide,potassium methoxide, potassium ethoxide, potassium isopropoxide, andpotassium tertiary butoxide, and mixtures thereof, or preferably sodiummethoxide.

These, and other objects, will readily be apparent to those skilled inthe art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. Presented in FIG. 1 is the experimental powder X-ray diffraction(PXRD) pattern of Form I of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide.

FIG. 2. Presented in FIG. 2 is the calculated powder X-ray diffraction(PXRD) pattern of Form I of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide.

FIG. 3. Presented in FIG. 3 is the powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD)pattern of Form II of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide.

FIG. 4. Presented in FIG. 4, is the differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) data of Forms I and II of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The selective COX-2 inhibitor4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide(Formula I)

has been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,466,823 and 5,521,207. Thedescription describes a synthesis of the compound, but is silent withrespect to the crystalline form which is obtained. As described in theexamples, following the procedure given in these patents leads tocrystals of Form II, which has been demonstrated by powder X-raydiffraction (PXRD) patterns. The inventors have found that this crystalform is unstable with respect to another form, Form I, at ambienttemperature and pressure. The forms can be distinguished by their PXRD(powder X-ray diffraction) patterns.

Definitions

As referred to in the present application, “water miscible” meanscapable of being mixed with or dissolved in water at all proportions.

As referred to in the present application, “anhydrous crystalline”refers to a crystal that does not contain substantial amounts of water.The water content can be determined by methods known in the artincluding, for example, Karl Fischer titrations. Preferably an anhydrouscrystalline form contains at most about 1% by weight water, morepreferably at most about 0.5% by weight water, and most preferably atmost about 0.1% by weight water.

As referred to in the present application, “stable” in bulk drugstability tests means that at least about 90% by weight, preferably atleast about 95% by weight, and more preferably at least about 99% byweight of the bulk drug remains unchanged after storage under theindicated conditions for the indicated time.

“DSC” means differential scanning calorimetry.

The term alkyl, unless otherwise specified, where used either alone orwith other terms such as “trifluoroacetate”, embraces linear or branchedhaving one to four carbon atoms, or preferably two carbon atoms.Non-limiting examples include groups such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl,isopropyl, n-butyl, t-butyl, isobutyl, and sec-butyl.

“Metal alkoxides” are metal salts of an alcohol. Generally, the metalalkoxides contain sodium, lithium, or potassium as the metal. In thisinvention they are used in the form of an alcohol solution. Generally,the alcohol corresponds to the alcohol of the alkoxide. Non-limitingexamples of metal alkoxides include sodium methoxide, sodium ethoxide,sodium isopropoxide, sodium tertiary butoxide, lithium methoxide,lithium ethoxide, lithium isopropoxide, lithium tertiary butoxide,potassium methoxide, potassium ethoxide, potassium isopropoxide,potassium tertiary butoxide, and mixtures thereof.

Seeding is a technique of using a single crystal or more to induce theformation of more crystals from a mixture, solution, or suspension. Aseeding amount is the amount of material that, when added to a mixture,solution, or suspension, is able to cause the formation of the desiredform of a compound. While in theory, this amount can be very small, inpractice, a larger amount is used. This amount can be any amount thatcan be reasonably handled and is sufficient to cause the formation ofthe desired form of a compound. As a non-limiting example, amounts of0.0001% to 50% wt/wt of the seeding compound based on a referencecompound can be used as a seeding amount.

The term “C” when used in reference to temperature means centigrade orCelsius.

“Ambient temperature” is the air temperature surrounding an object. Itis the temperature inside a room, which generally is from 15 to 25degrees centigrade.

Reflux is a technique used in chemistry to apply energy to reactionsover an extended period of time. For this technique, a liquid reactionmixture is placed in a vessel open only at the top. This vessel isconnected to a vertical condenser, such that any vapors given off arecooled back to liquid, and fall back into the reaction vessel. Thevessel is then heated vigorously for the course of the reaction. Theadvantage of this technique is that it can be left for a long period oftime without the need to add more solvent or fear of the reaction vesselboiling dry. In addition because a given solvent will always boil at acertain temperature, the reaction will proceed at the same temperature.Because different solvents boil at different temperatures, by carefulchoice of solvent, the temperature of the reaction can be controlled.“Reflux temperature” as used herein refers to the temperature at which aparticular solvent boils during the reflux technique. For example,2-propanol has a boiling point of 82° C.; methanol has a boiling pointof 65° C. at sea level.

In reference to step (a), “reaction completion” is determined byconfirming that the amount of 4-fluoroacetophenone left in the mixtureis less than or equal to 2% w/w relative to the input charge of4-fluoroacetophenone by using the following HPLC method:

-   Column: Discover HS F5, 5u, 250×4.6 mm Supelco Cat #567517-U-   Mobile Phase (Gradient):

Time % Mobile Phase A % Mobile Phase B 0 60 40 15.0 60 40 15.1 20 8020.0 20 80 20.1 60 40 27.0 60 40 A: 0.05% (v/v) TFA in Water B: 0.05%(v/v) TFA in Acetonitrile

-   Flow Rate: 1 ml/min-   Injection: 20 μl-   Detection: 247 nm

In reference to step (b), “reaction completion” is determined byconfirming that the amount of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideformed is greater than 90% by using the following HPLC method:

-   Column: Zorbax Eclipse XDB Phenyl, 3.5 μm, 150×4.6 mm-   Mobile Phase: 55/45 v/v Methanol/25 mM H₃PO₄ at pH 2.5 (pH adjusted    with NaOH)-   Run time: 30 mins-   Column temperature: 35° C.-   Flow rate: 1.0 ml/min-   Injection volume: 15 μl-   Detection: UV at 254 nm-   Sample concentration: 0.4 mg/ml

“Therapeutically effective amount” refers to that amount of the compoundbeing administered which will prevent a condition (eg, an inflammatorycondition), or will relieve to some extent one or more of the symptomsof the disorder being treated. Pharmaceutical compositions suitable foruse in the present invention include compositions wherein the activeingredients are contained in an amount sufficient to achieve theintended purpose. Determination of a therapeutically effective amount iswell within the capability of those skilled in the art, especially inlight of the detailed disclosure provided herein.

Animals that are suitable recipients of the compounds of the presentinvention include but are not limited to humans or other mammals oranimals, for example, farm animals including cattle, sheep, pigs,horses, goats and poultry (e.g., chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese) andother birds, and companion animals such as dogs, cats, and exotic and/orzoo animals. Treatment of both rodents and non-rodent animals iscontemplated.

In practice, the amount of the compound to be administered ranges fromabout 0.001 to 100 mg per kg of animal body weight, such total dosebeing given at one time or in divided doses. It may be administeredalone or in combination with one or more other drugs. Generally, it willbe administered as a formulation in association with one or morepharmaceutically acceptable excipients. The term ‘excipient’ is usedherein to describe any ingredient other than the compound(s) of theinvention. The choice of excipient will to a large extent depend onfactors such as the particular mode of administration, the effect of theexcipient on solubility and stability, and the nature of the dosageform.

Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for the delivery of compounds ofthe present invention and methods for their preparation will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art. Such compositions and methods fortheir preparation may be found, for example, in Remington'sPharmaceutical Sciences, 19th Edition (Mack Publishing Company, 1995).

For use as an anti-inflammatory agent in animals the inventivecomposition may be administered either orally or by injection. Where itis desired to administer the inventive composition in a dry, solid unitdosage form, capsules, boluses or tablets containing the desired amountof active compounds usually are employed. These dosage forms areprepared by intimately and uniformly mixing the active ingredient withsuitable finely divided diluents such as starch, lactose, talc,magnesium stearate, vegetable gums, and the like. Such unit dosageformulations may be varied widely with respect to their total weight andcontent of the anti-inflammatory agent depending upon factors such asthe type of host animal to be treated, the severity and type ofinflammation, and the weight of the host. The formulation of tablets isdiscussed in Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms: Tablets, Vol. 1, by H.Lieberman and L. Lachman (Marcel Dekker, New York, 1980).

Alternatively, the anti-inflammatory compositions of the presentinvention may be administered to animals parenterally, for example, byintraruminal, intramuscular, or subcutaneous injection in which eventthe active ingredients are dissolved or dispersed in a liquid carriervehicle. For parenteral administration, the active materials aresuitably admixed with an acceptable vehicle, preferably of the vegetableoil variety such as peanut oil, cottonseed oil, and the like. Otherparenteral vehicles such as organic preparations using solketal,propylene glycol, glycerol formal, and aqueous parenteral formulationsare also used, often in combination in various proportions. The activecompound or compounds are dissolved or suspended in the parenteralformulation for administration; such formulations generally contain from0.005 to 5% by weight of the active compound.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description of the invention, specific embodiments inwhich the invention may be practiced are described. These embodimentsare described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art topractice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized, and logicaland other changes may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to betaken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the invention is definedonly by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents towhich such claims are entitled.

Form II is the crystal form obtained from the procedure described inU.S. Pat. No. 5,466,823. Methods for obtaining crystal Form I areillustrated by the following non-limiting descriptions and examples.

In one method,4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideof crystal Form II may be suspended and mixed in suitable solvent inwhich the concentration of drug is higher than the saturation point, ata temperature from about 0° C. to about 60° C. A suitable solvent is onein which the solubility of the drug is greater than about 1 mg/mL andless than about 800 mg/mL. Examples of suitable solvents include but arenot limited to water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetone,acetonitrile, methylene chloride, toluene, and tetrahydrofuran, andmixtures thereof. The suspension is stirred at a temperature from about0° C. to about 60° C. for 24 to 72 hours. The Form I crystals arecollected by filtration.

In another procedure, the crystal Form I can be prepared byprecipitation from a solution of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidein a suitable water miscible solvent in which the compound solubility isgreater than 2 mg/mL, by the addition of water at a temperature fromabout 10° C. to about 60° C. Examples of suitable solvents for thepreparation of Form I from Form II include ethanol, acetone,acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, and dimethylformamide.Subsequent to the initial precipitation with water, the suspension isstirred for 24 to 72 hours at a temperature from about 15° C. to about45° C., and the Form I crystals are collected by filtration.

Preparation 1. Preparation of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide,Form II

The following procedure is essentially identical to that of Example 1 ofU.S. Pat. No. 5,521,207 with the non-critical variation of using4-fluroacetophenone instead of 4-chloroacetophenone as a startingmaterial.

Step 1: Preparation of4,4,4-trifluoro-1-[4-(fluoro)phenyl]-butane-1,3-dione.

Ethyl trifluoroacetate (2.35 g, 1.66 mmol) was placed in a 50 mL roundbottom flask, and dissolved in methyl tert-butyl ether (7.5 mL). To thestirred solution was added 25 weight % sodium methoxide (4.0 mL, 17.7mmol) via an addition funnel over a 2 minute period. Next,4′-fluoroacetophenone (2.1 g, 15 mmol) was dissolved in methyltert-butyl ether (2 mL), and added to the reaction dropwise over 5minutes. After stirring overnight (15.75 hours), 3N HCl (7.0 mL) wasadded. The organic layer was collected, washed with brine (7.5 mL),dried over MgSO₄, filtered, and concentrated in vacuo to give 3.2 g ofpale-orange solid. The solid was recrystallized from iso-octane to give2.05 g of the dione.

Step 2: Preparation of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide

4-Sulphonamidophenyl hydrazine hydrochloride (982 mg, 4.4 mmol) wasadded to a stirred solution of4,4,4-trifluoro-[4-(fluoro)phenyl]-butane-1,3-dione (0.936 g, 4.0 mmol)in ethanol (50 mL). The reaction was heated to reflux and stirred for 20hours. After cooling to room temperature, the reaction mixture wasconcentrated in vacuo. The residue was taken up in ethyl acetate andwashed with water and brine and dried over MgSO₄, filtered, andconcentrated in vacuo to give a brown solid which was recrystallizedfrom ethyl acetate and iso-octane to give the4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide,0.8 g.

¹H NMR (CDCl₃): δ 7.92, 7.47, 7.22, 7.09, 6.76, 4.92.

MS m/e ES-(M-H) 384

m.p. 167-171° C.

Preparation 2. Preparation of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide,Form I Without Isolating the Crystal Form II

The following procedure describes a general method of preparing thecrystal Form I of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidewithout isolating the crystal Form II.

Part A. 4-fluoroacetophenone (1 molar equivalent) is combined with amixture of alkyl trifluoroacetate (1.0-1.6 molar equivalents), a metalalkoxide (1.0-1.5 molar equivalents) and optionally a suitable solvent(up to 10 liters per kilogram of 4-fluoroacetophenone). This mixture maybe heated at temperatures of up to reflux (to effect completion ofreaction). A “suitable solvent” for this part A is a C₁-C₆ saturatedaliphatic alcohol, including linear, branched chain, and cyclicalcohols. Non-limiting examples of suitable solvents include alcoholssuch as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and the like, and mixturesthereof.

Part B. The mixture from Part A is combined with a mixture of4-sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride (0.8-1.2 molar equivalentsbased upon 4-fluoroacetophenone) and aqueous hydrochloric acid (1.1-2.0molar equivalents based upon 4-fluoroacetophenone) in water (3-9 litersper kilogram of 4-fluoroacetophenone). If required, a suitable solventmay be added such that the total amount of the solvent present in Part Blies within the range of 4-12 liters per kilogram of4-fluoroacetophenone. The reaction may be heated at temperatures of upto reflux (to effect completion of reaction). Following the reactionperiod, the mixture is seeded with the crystals of Form I (0.0001% wt/wtbased upon 4-fluoroacetophenone or more) at temperatures below 70° C.The solids are isolated by filtration and may be washed and/orreslurried with a suitable solvent. The product may be dried attemperatures up to 80° C. A “suitable solvent” for this part B is aC₁-C₆ saturated aliphatic alcohol, including linear, branched chain, andcyclic alcohols, and water, and mixtures thereof.

The following procedure describes a method of preparing the crystal FormI of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidewithout isolating the crystal Form II. 2-propanol (70 ml) and ethyltrifluoroacetate (27.15 g, 0.191 moles) are added to a first vessel,followed by a line wash of 2-propanol (10 ml). Next, 25% sodiummethoxide in methanol (37.5 g, 0.174 moles) is added to the vessel,followed by a line wash of 2-propanol (10 ml). Next,4-fluoroacetophenone (20 g, 0.145 moles) is added followed by a linewash of 2-propanol (10 ml). The contents of vessel are heated to 55° C.and held at that temperature for 2 hours, then cooled to ambienttemperature. Water (110 ml), concentrated hydrochloric acid (20.0 g,0.203 moles), and 4-sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride (32.4 g,0.145 moles) are added to a second vessel, followed by a line wash ofwater (10 ml). The contents of the first vessel are added to the secondvessel, followed by a line wash of 2-propanol (60 ml). The combinedcontents are heated at 70° C. for 2 hours, then cooled to 55° C. andseeded with 10 mg (0.05% wt/wt relative to 4-fluoroacetophenone) of FormI of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide.The contents are held at 55° C. for 6 hours, then cooled to ambienttemperature and filtered. The product is washed with 50% aqueous2-propanol (120 ml) and water (60 ml), then dried under vacuum at 55° C.to give4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideof the desired Form I polymorph (44.8 g, 80%).

The invention is described in greater detail by the followingnon-limiting examples.

Examples Example 1

De-ionized water, 1 mL, was mixed well with isopropyl alcohol, 1 mL, ina 20 mL glass vial.4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamide,Form II, (258.6 mg) was added to the vial. A magnetic stirring bar wasintroduced and the vial capped tightly. The suspension was stirred at˜200 rpm for about 30 min. A thick paste-like suspension was observed.The stirring was stopped and the vial was allowed to stand for 3 days. Aportion of the suspension was removed and dried on absorbent paper. Thepowder X-ray pattern of this solid is shown in FIG. 1. The melting pointof some isolated crystals observed under a hot stage microscope was148-152° C. However, this range may not be reproducibly observed becauseof the transition of Form I to Form II at between 140 to 155° C.

Example 2

380 mg of Form II was suspended in 2 mL of ethanol. Part of the compoundwas dissolved but some excess solid compound suspended in the solution.The resulting suspension was stirred with a magnetic stirring bar at atemperature from about 20° C. to about 30° C. for 2 weeks. At the end ofthe period, the solid was filtered and identified by PXRD to be Form I.

Example 3

1.5 g of Form II was added to 2 mL of acetonitrile to afford asuspension. The suspension was stirred with a magnetic stirring bar at atemperature from about 20° C. to about 30° C. for 2 weeks. At the end ofthe period, the solid was filtered and identified by PXRD to be Form I.

Example 4

0.5 g of Form II was added to 2 mL of methanol+water mixture (1:1, v:v)to afford a suspension. The suspension was stirred with a magneticstirring bar at a temperature from about 20° C. to about 30° C. for 4weeks. At the end of the period, the solid was filtered and identifiedby PXRD to be Form I.

Example 5

81.5 kg4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidewas completely dissolved in 81.5 Kg of ethanol (6 volumes) at 40° C. andfiltered while hot. 154 L of water (9 volumes) was added to the solutionover a period of 1 hr while the temperature was maintained at 40° C.followed by cooling down to 20° C. The slurry was stirred at 20° C. for24 hrs, and filtered to provide4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideas Form I.

Example 6 Powder X-Ray Diffraction

Powder X-ray diffraction was performed using a Scintag X2 AdvancedDiffraction System (controlled by Scintag DMS/NT 1.30a and MicrosoftWindows NT 4.0 software). The system uses a Copper X-ray source (45 kVand 40 mA) to provide CuKα₁ emission of 1.5406 Å and a solid-statePeltier cooled detector. The beam aperture was controlled using tubedivergence and anti-scatter slits of 2 and 4 mm and detectoranti-scatter and receiving slits of 0.5 and 0.2 mm width. Data werecollected from 2 to 35° (two-theta) using a step scan of 0.03°/step witha counting time of one second per step. Scintag round, top loadingaluminum sample holders with a 12 mm diameter cavity were utilized forthe experiments. Powders were packed into the holder and were gentlypressed by a glass slide to ensure coplanarity between the samplesurface and the surface of the sample holder.

As will be appreciated by the skilled crystallographer, the relativeintensities of the various peaks within Tables given below may vary dueto a number of factors such as for example orientation effects ofcrystals in the X-ray beam or the purity of the material being analysedor the degree of crystallinity of the sample. The peak positions mayalso shift for variations in sample height but the peak positions willremain substantially as defined in given Tables.

The skilled crystallographer will also appreciate that measurementsusing a different wavelength will result in different shifts accordingto the Bragg equation −nλ=2d sin θ.

Such further PXRD patterns generated by use of alternative wavelengthsare considered to be alternative representations of the PXRD patterns ofthe crystalline materials of the present invention and as such arewithin the scope of the present invention.

For Form I, 2-theta Angles, d spacings and relative intensities werecalculated from the single crystal structure using the “Reflex PowderDiffraction” module of Accelrys Materials Studio™ [version 2.2].Pertinent simulation parameters were in each case:

-   -   Wavelength=1.540562 Å (Cu Kα)    -   Polarisation Factor=0.5    -   Pseudo-Voigt Profile (U=0.01, V=−0.001, W=0.002)

The experimental and the calculated PXRD patterns for Form I and theexperimental pattern for Form II are given in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3,respectively. The main PXRD peaks of Form I of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1h-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideare presented in Table 1. The main peaks of Form I of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1h-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidefrom the calculated PXRD pattern are presented in Table 2. Form Idisplays unique diffraction peaks at 14.0, 18.9, 21.3, 21.9, and 25.7degrees of two theta-angle±0.1 degree.

TABLE 1 PXRD DIFFRACTION PEAKS OF4-[5-(4-FLUOROPHENYL)-3-(TRIFLUOROMETHYL)-1H-PYRAZOL-1-YL]-BENZENESULFONAMIDE, FORM I Angle Two-Theta* (degrees)Relative Intensity** 10.6 14.6 14.0 60.0 14.3 22.2 16.4 74.9 18.0 17.518.4 19.3 18.9 80.2 20.9 17.7 21.3 100.0 21.9 96.3 22.6 31.4 22.9 24.023.6 28.6 23.9 12.3 24.4 18.6 24.6 19.6 25.7 76.7 27.1 31.9 28.7 11.329.2 20.3 *±0.1 degree **The relative intensity for each peak isdetermined by normalizing its intensity to that of the strongest peak at21.3° angle as 100

TABLE 2 DIFFRACTION PEAKS OF 4-[5-(4-FLUOROPHENYL)-3-(TRIFLUOROMETHYL)-1H-PYRAZOL-1-YL]-BENZENESULFONAMIDE, FORM I, FROM CALCULATED PXRDPATTERN Angle 2-Theta Relative (Degrees)* Intensity** 10.6 18.7 14.072.0 14.3 17.8 16.3 51.9 18.0 23.2 18.1 17.2 18.4 46.9 18.7 32.4 18.984.6 18.9 54.5 19.5 12.0 20.9 23.1 21.3 75.7 21.7 11.9 21.8 65.7 22.558.0 22.9 45.9 23.5 50.5 24.1 12.4 24.3 30.7 24.5 39.5 25.7 100.0 27.137.1 28.0 16.3 29.1 16.8 29.1 19.4 29.4 10.1 31.8 11.4 36.5 11.6 *±0.1degree **The relative intensity for each peak is determined bynormalizing its intensity to that of the strongest peak at 25.7° angleas 100

Example 7 Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data were obtained using a DSCcalorimeter (TA Instruments 2920). Powder (1-5 mg) was packed in analuminum DSC pan. An aluminum lid was placed on top of the pan and wascrimped. The crimped pan was placed in the sample cell along with anempty pan as a reference. Temperatures were increased to 250° C. from30° C. at a rate of 10° C./min unless otherwise specified. The thermalcell was purged with dry nitrogen at 50 mL/min. The TA InstrumentsThermal Solutions™ for NT (version 1.3L) was used for data collectionand Universal Analysis™ for NT (version 2.4F) was used for dataanalysis. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the DSC of Form I shows anendothermal phase transition from Form I to Form II at 140° C. to 155°C.

Example 8 Thermodynamic Relationship between Forms I and II

In this Example, the transition temperature between Forms I and II isdescribed. Form I and Form II are enantiotropic, which means that onepolymorph is stable at temperatures below a transition temperature,T_(t), but the other polymorph is stable at temperatures above T_(t).The two solid phases have equal free energies at the transitiontemperature. Knowledge of the thermodynamic stability relationship isnecessary for the selection of suitable crystallization conditions toproduce Form I, and for formulation development and commercialmanufacturing. It is important to determine T_(t) for the preparationand processing of bulk drug.

Materials and Methods.

Materials. The Form I sample used in this study was 100% pure whentested by HPLC. Form II was prepared by heating Form I to 155° C. for 3days in a dry oven and cooled to room temperature. This Form II samplewas free of chemical degradation when tested by HPLC.

Methods. Suspension crystallization. The relative stability relationshipbetween Forms I and II at a specific temperature was bracketed bysuspending a mixture of the two polymorphs in toluene in a closed glassvial that was equilibrated at the temperature of interest. Excess solidof one polymorph was first added to saturate toluene in a glass vial atthe chosen temperature. The other polymorph was added at least half anhour later. The suspension was stirred continuously for at least threedays. A portion of the suspension was withdrawn and immediatelyfiltered. The filtered solid was analyzed using PXRD to identify theequilibrium solid at that temperature. The equilibrium polymorph isthermodynamically more stable at the specific temperature. By repeatingthe experiment at different temperatures, the T_(t) was bracketed.

Results.

Suspension Crystallization. The results from suspension crystallizationshowed that at or about 71.5° C. or greater, a mixture of Forms I and IIalways converted to Form II, but at or about 71.0° C. or less, Form Iwas the equilibrium solid phase. Therefore, Form I is thermodynamicallymore stable at or about 71.0° C. or less, and Form II is more stable ator about 71.5° C. or greater. The T_(t) must be approximately 70 toabout 73° C.

Discussion.

It is important to determine the T_(t) for the preparation andprocessing of bulk drug. For example, a step comprising crystallizationfrom solution is often involved prior to the final isolation of the bulkdrug. If T_(t) for the desired form lies below the crystallizationtemperature, it might be difficult to crystallize the drug consistentlyas a pure phase. Another example is the drying of drug-containinggranules after wet-granulation. If the drying temperature is higher thanT_(t) uncontrolled polymorph changes of the drug may occur. The changesin turn may affect the subsequent processing, quality, and performanceof final products. The transition temperature, T_(t), was determined tobe approximately 71° C. using suspension crystallization. Because Form Iis more stable at temperatures below about 71° C. and becomes metastablewith respect to Form II at temperatures above approximately 71° C., FormI crystal should maintain its solid-state stability through the normalrange of temperatures for crystallization and storage, as long as thetemperature is below about 71° C.

The present invention has been described in detail and by reference tovarious specific and preferred embodiments and techniques. However, itshould be understood that many variations and modifications can be madewhile remaining within the scope to of the invention.

1.-52. (canceled)
 53. A process for converting a crystal form, Form II,of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideinto a crystal form, Form I, of said compound, having a powder X-raydiffraction pattern comprising peaks expressed in degrees (±0.1 degree)of two theta angle of 14.0, 18.9, 21.3, 21.9, and 25.7 obtained usingCuKα₁ X-ray (wavelength=1.5406 Angstroms) comprising: (a) mixing asuspension of Form II of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidein a suitable solvent at a temperature from 0° C. to 60° C.; (b)stirring the suspension at a temperature from 0° C. to 60° C. for 24 to72 hours.
 54. The process of claim 53 wherein the solvent is chosen fromthe group consisting of water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetone,acetonitrile, methylene chloride, toluene, and tetrahydrofuran, andmixtures thereof.
 55. A process for converting a crystal form, Form II,of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamideinto a crystal form, Form I, of said compound, having a powder X-raydiffraction pattern comprising peaks expressed in degrees (±0.1 degree)of two theta angle of 14.0, 18.9, 21.3, 21.9, and 25.7 obtained usingCuKα₁ X-ray (wavelength=1.5406 Angstroms) comprising: (a) dissolvingsaid Form II in a water miscible solvent in which the solubility of FormII is greater than 2 mg/mL at a temperature from 10° C. to 60° C.; (b)precipitating the compound by the addition of water; (c) stirring thesuspension of step ii) for 2 to 72 hours at a temperature from 15° C. to45° C.
 56. The process of claim 55 in which the solvent is selected fromthe group consisting of ethanol, acetone, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran,dioxane, and dimethylformamide.
 57. A pharmaceutical composition whichcomprises the crystal form, Form I, of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidehaving a powder X-ray diffraction pattern comprising peaks expressed indegrees (±0.1 degree) of two theta angle of 14.0, 18.9, 21.3, 21.9, and25.7 obtained using CuKα₁ X-ray (wavelength=1.5406 Angstroms) and apharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient.
 58. The pharmaceuticalcomposition of claim 57 in which the pharmaceutically acceptable carrieror excipient is starch or lactose.
 59. A method of treating an arthritisin an animal by administering a therapeutically effective amount of thecrystal form, Form I, of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidehaving a powder X-ray diffraction pattern comprising peaks expressed indegrees (±0.1 degree) of two theta angle of 14.0, 18.9, 21.3, 21.9, and25.7 obtained using CuKα₁ X-ray (wavelength=1.5406 Angstroms) to theanimal.
 60. The me hod of claim 59 wherein said animal is selected fromthe group consisting of cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, birds, cats,dogs, and humans.
 61. The use of the composition of claim 57 in themanufacture of a medicament for the prevention or treatment of aninflammatory condition in an animal.
 62. A process for making thecrystal form, Form I, of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidehaving a powder X-ray diffraction pattern comprising peaks expressed indegrees (±0.1 degree) of two theta angle of 14.0, 18.9, 21.3, 21.9, and25.7 obtained using CuKα₁ X-ray (wavelength=1.5406 Angstroms),comprising the steps of: (a) mixing 1.0 to 1.6 moles of alkyltrifluoroacetate per mole of 4-fluoroacetophenone, 1.0 to 1.5 moles of ametal alkoxide per mole of 4-fluoroacetophenone, and a known quantity of4-fluoroacetophenone to make a mixture; (b) combining the mixture fromstep (a) with a combination of 415 to 1,245 ml of water per mole of4-fluoroacetophenone, 1.1 to 2.0 moles of concentrated hydrochloric acidper mole of 4-fluoroacetophenone, 0.8 to 1.2 moles of4-sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride per mole of4-fluoroacetophenone, and an amount of a suitable solvent so that thetotal amount of the solvent in the mixture is from 550 to 1,660 ml permole of 4-fluoroacetophenone; (c) adding to the mixture a seeding amountof crystals of Form I of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidebased on 4-fluoroacetophenone.
 63. The process of claim 62, furthercomprising adding in step (a), up to 1,380 ml of a suitable solvent permole of 4-fluoroacetophenone to the mixture.
 64. The process of claim63, wherein the solvent is 2-propanol.
 65. The process of claim 62,wherein the metal alkoxide is chosen from the group consisting of sodiummethoxide, sodium ethoxide, sodium isopropoxide, sodium tertiarybutoxide, lithium methoxide, lithium ethoxide, lithium isopropoxide,lithium tertiary butoxide, potassium methoxide, potassium ethoxide,potassium isopropoxide, potassium tertiary butoxide, and mixturesthereof.
 66. The process of claim 65 wherein the metal alkoxide issodium methoxide.
 67. The process of claim 62, further comprising a stepfollowing step (a) comprising heating the mixture at a temperature aboveambient temperature up to reflux temperature until the reaction iscomplete.
 68. The process of claim 67, further comprising a stepfollowing the heating step comprising cooling the mixture to −5° C. to30° C.
 69. The process of claim 62, wherein step (b) comprises addingthe mixture to the combination of water, hydrochloric acid, and4-sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride.
 70. The process of claim 62,wherein the solvent of step (b) is an alcohol.
 71. The process of claim70, wherein the alcohol is 2-propanol.
 72. The process of claim 62,further comprising a step following step (b) comprising heating themixture at temperatures above ambient temperature up to refluxtemperature until the reaction is complete.
 73. The process of claim 72,further comprising a step following the heating step comprisingstabilizing the mixture at a temperature from ambient temperature to 70°C.
 74. The process of claim 62, wherein the seeding amount is from0.0001% to 50% wt/wt.
 75. The process of claim 74, wherein the seedingamount is from 0.001% to 5% wt/wt.
 76. The process of claim 74, whereinthe seeding amount is from 0.01% to 0.5% wt/wt.
 77. The process of claim62, further comprising a step following step (c) comprising heating themixture at a temperature from 40° C. to less than 70° C. for 1 to 10hours.
 78. The process of claim 77, further comprising a step followingthe heating step comprising cooling the mixture to −5° C. to 30° C. 79.The process of claim 62, further comprising a step following step (c)comprising filtering the mixture, and washing the Form I crystals with asuitable solvent or water, or a mixture thereof.
 80. The process ofclaim 79, wherein the solvent is an alcohol.
 81. The process of claim80, wherein the alcohol is 2-propanol.
 82. The process of claim 62,further comprising a step following step (c) comprising collecting theForm I crystals and drying said crystals at a temperature of 15° C. to80° C.
 83. A process for making the crystal form, Form I, of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidehaving a powder X-ray diffraction pattern comprising peaks expressed indegrees (±0.1 degree) of two theta angle of 14.0, 18.9, 21,3, 21.9, and25.7 obtained using CuKα₁ X-ray (wavelength=1.5406 Angstroms),comprising the steps of: (a) mixing 1.2 to 1.45 moles of alkyltrifluoroacetate per mole of 4-fluoroacetophenone, 1.1 to 1.35 moles ofa metal alkoxide per mole of 4-fluoroacetophenone, and a known quantityof 4-fluoroacetophenone to make a mixture; (b) combining the mixturefrom step (a) with a combination of 650 to 870 ml of water per mole of4-fluoroacetophenone, 1.2 to 1.7 moles of concentrated hydrochloric acidper mole of 4-fluoroacetophenone, 0.9 to 1.1 moles of4-sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride per mole of4-fluoroacetophenone, and an amount of a suitable solvent so that thetotal amount of the solvent in the mixture is from 600 to 1,000 ml permole of 4-fluoroacetophenone; (c) adding to the mixture a seeding amountof crystals of Form I of4-[5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-benzenesulfonamidebased on 4-fluoroacetophenone.
 84. The process of claim 83, furthercomprising adding in step (a), up to 900 ml of a suitable solvent permole of 4-fluoroacetophenone to the mixture.
 85. The process of claim84, wherein the solvent is 2-propanol.
 86. The process of claim 83,wherein the metal alkoxide is chosen from the group consisting of sodiummethoxide, sodium ethoxide, sodium isopropoxide, sodium tertiarybutoxide, lithium methoxide, lithium ethoxide, lithium isopropoxide,lithium tertiary butoxide, potassium methoxide, potassium ethoxide,potassium isopropoxide, and potassium tertiary butoxide, and mixturesthereof.
 87. The process of claim 86, wherein the metal alkoxide issodium methoxide.
 88. The process of claim 83, further comprising a stepfollowing step (a) comprising heating the mixture at a temperature aboveambient temperature up to reflux temperature until the reaction iscomplete.
 89. The process of claim 88, further comprising a stepfollowing the heating step comprising cooling the mixture to ambienttemperature.
 90. The process of claim 83, wherein step (b) comprisesadding the mixture to the combination of water, hydrochloric acid, and4-sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride.
 91. The process of claim 83,wherein the solvent of step (b) is an alcohol.
 92. The process of claim91, wherein the alcohol is 2-propanol.
 93. The process of claim 83,further comprising a step following step (b) comprising heating themixture at a temperature above ambient temperature up to refluxtemperature until the reaction is complete.
 94. The process of claim 93,further comprising a step following the heating step comprisingstabilizing the mixture at a temperature from 40° C. to 65° C.
 95. Theprocess of claim 83, wherein the seeding amount is from 0.001% to 50%wt/wt.
 96. The process of claim 95, wherein the seeding amount is from0.001% to 5% wt/wt.
 97. The process of claim 95, wherein the seedingamount is from 0.01% to 0.5% wt/wt.
 98. The process of claim 83, furthercomprising a step following step (c) comprising heating the mixture at atemperature from 50° C. to less than 70° C. for 3 to 8 hours.
 99. Theprocess of claim 98, further comprising a step following the heatingstep of cooling the mixture to ambient temperature.
 100. The process ofclaim 83, further comprising a step following step (c) comprisingfiltering the mixture, and washing the Form I crystals with a suitablesolvent or water, or a mixture thereof.
 101. The process of claim 100,wherein the solvent is an alcohol.
 102. The process of claim 101,wherein the alcohol is 2-propanol.
 103. The process of claim 83, furthercomprising a step following step (c) comprising collecting the Form Icrystals and drying said crystals at a temperature of 30° C. to 65° C.